Apparatus for melt spinning feedstock material

Abstract

A spinner head provides for the production of melt-spun product. The spinner head includes a base and a cover spaced from the base. A plurality of discrete spaced apart elongate heating elements are positioned between the base and the cover and define a chamber for accommodating feedstock material therein. An elongate generally annular housing having plural circumferentially spaced cylindrical passages extending therethrough is positionable over the heating elements. The housing defines a plurality of circumferentially spaced fins projecting radially inward. Each of the fins have tapered sidewalls which generally converge as the fin extends radially inward. The sidewalls of adjacent fins cooperate to define longitudinal radially-directed slots between the cylindrical passages so as to permit passage of the feedstock material therethrough.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A spinner head comprising: a base;   a cover aligned with and spaced from said base; and   a plurality of discrete elongate heating elements defining elongate spaces therebetween said heating elements being positioned between said base and said cover and further defining a perimetrical configuration;   an elongate generally annular housing having plural circumferentially spaced cylindrical passages extending therethrough, said housing being positionable over said heating elements with said heating elements residing within said passages, said cover and said annular housing mutually defining a chamber for accommodating therein a foodstuffs or pharmaceutical feedstock material which undergoes physical transformation with the application of heat and force and instantly reforms as a solid having a changed morphology; and   said housing defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced fins projecting radially inward, said plurality of fins defining a processing wall for acting upon the feedstock, each of said fins having tapered sidewalls which generally converge to substantially a point as said fin extends radially inward to form a non-planar inner surface which resists the formation of stagnation points, and said sidewalls of adjacent fins cooperating to define longitudinal radially-directed slots between said cylindrical passages so as to permit passage of the feedstock material therethrough.   
     
     
       2. The spinner head of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of fins corresponds to one of said plurality of cylindrical passages. 
     
     
       3. The spinner head of claim 1 wherein said radially-directed slots narrow upon extending radially outwardly. 
     
     
       4. The spinner head of claim 1 wherein said sidewalls of each of said fins include a first portion and a second portion disposed radially inward of said first portion, and wherein said second portion is inclined more than said first portion. 
     
     
       5. The spinner head of claim 1 wherein said fins which are adjacently disposed are spaced a distance from each other and said distance varies over said radial extent of said adjacent fins. 
     
     
       6. The spinner head of claim 1 further including a flow restriction device disposed exteriorly about said annular housing for effecting the flow of feedstock material from said spinner head. 
     
     
       7. The spinner head of claim 6 wherein said flow restriction device includes an annular wall, said wall defining a plurality circumferentially spaced openings extending radially therethrough. 
     
     
       8. The spinner head of claim 7 wherein each of said openings of said flow restricting device has a radial inner and outer end and said radially inner end of each opening substantially radially aligns with one of said plurality of slots to permit restricted passage of said expelled feedstock material therethrough. 
     
     
       9. The spinner head of claim 8 wherein at least one of said openings of said restriction device extends at an angle from said corresponding slot such that said radially inner and outer ends are circumferentially offset. 
     
     
       10. The spinner head of claim 9 wherein the angle of said at least one of said openings of said restriction device is less than an angle of repose of said feedstock material processed within said spinner head in order to prevent formation of stagnation points. 
     
     
       11. The spinner head of claim 10 wherein said annular housing and said restriction device are formed of a heat conducting material such that the feedstock material is heated upon passage through said slots of said annular housing and said openings of said restriction device. 
     
     
       12. The spinner head of claim 1 wherein said annular housing includes an upper portion and a lower portion and a flange extending from said lower portion, said flange including a plurality of apertures therein to permit fastening hardware to extend therethrough to secure said housing to said base. 
     
     
       13. The spinner head of claim 12 said annular housing upper portion including a plurality of apertures formed therein and retaining mounting hardware for securing said cover to said annular housing. 
     
     
       14. The spinner head of claim 1 wherein an upper portion of each of said plurality of heating elements extends beyond said annular housing and said cover includes a securement annulus that is mechanically secured to an upper portion of said plurality of heating elements. 
     
     
       15. The spinner head of claim 14 wherein said cover includes an aperture therein to permit the feedstock material to enter said chamber, and said cover is securable to said securement annulus. 
     
     
       16. A processing wall for use with a spinner head having tubular heating elements comprising: an elongate generally annular housing having plural circumferentially spaced cylindrical passages extending therethrough, said housing being positionable over the heating elements with said heating elements residing within said passages, said housing defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced fins projecting radially inward to form a non-planar surface which resists the formation of stagnation points, each of said fins having a pair of tapered sidewalls which generally converge to substantially a point as said fin extends radially inward forming a generally non-planar surface, and one of said pair of sidewalls of adjacent fins cooperating to define a plurality of longitudinal radially-directed slots between said cylindrical passages so as to instantly reform foodstuffs or pharmaceutical feedstock material which passes therethrough into a solid having a changed morphology.   
     
     
       17. The processing wall of claim 16 further including a flow restriction device disposed exteriorly about said annular housing for effecting the flow of feedstock material from said spinner head. 
     
     
       18. The spinner head of claim 17 wherein said flow restriction device includes an annular wall, said wall defining a plurality circumferentially spaced openings extending radially therethrough, and wherein each of said openings has a radial inner and outer end and said radially inner end of each opening substantially radially aligns with one of said plurality of slots to permit restricted passage of said expelled feedstock material therethrough. 
     
     
       19. The spinner head of claim 18 wherein at least one of said openings of said restriction device extends at an angle from said corresponding slot such that said radially inner and outer ends are circumferentially offset. 
     
     
       20. A spinner head comprising: a base;   a cover aligned with and spaced from said based; and   a plurality of discrete elongate heating elements defining elongate spaces therebetween said heating elements being positioned between said based and said cover and further defining a perimetrical configuration;   an elongate generally annular housing having plural circumferentially spaced cylindrical passages extending therethrough, said housing being positionable over said heating elements with said heating elements residing within said passages, said housing defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially directed slots, so as to permit passage of said feedstock material therethrough, and wherein an upper portion of each of said plurality of heating elements extends beyond said annular housing;   said cover and said annular housing mutually defining a chamber for accommodating therein a foodstuffs or pharmaceutical feedstock material which undergoes physical transformation with the application of heat and force and instantly reforms as a solid having a changed morphology after exiting said chamber; and   a securement annulus that is mechanically secured to an upper portion of said plurality of heating elements, said annulus providing means for securing said cover onto said spinner head.   
     
     
       21. The spinner head of claim 5 wherein said fins do not present a planar or tangential surface upon which said feedstock may build up and form stagnation points. 
     
     
       22. The processing wall of claim 16 wherein said fins do not present a planar or tangential surface upon which said feedstock may build up and form stagnation points. 
     
     
       23. The spinner head of claim 20 wherein said housing further defines a plurality of circumferentially spaced fins projecting radially inward, said plurality of fins defining a processing wall for acting upon the feedstock material, each of said fins having tapered sidewalls which generally converge to substantially a point as said fin extends radially inward to form a non-planar inner surface which resists the formation of stagnation points, and said sidewalls of adjacent fins cooperating to define said circumferentially spaced radially-directed slots. 
     
     
       24. The spinner head of claim 23 wherein said fins do not present a planar or tangential surface upon which said feedstock may build up and form stagnation points.